ANTH415 - ARCHAEOLOGY OF ANIMALS

This course introduces the study of animal bones from archaeological sites. Faunal analysis is an interdisciplinary science which draws methods from archaeology, biology, and paleontology. Bones, shells, and other remains yield evidence for the use of animals by humans, and evidence for the biology of animals and for past environments. The course will focus on research approaches to important transitions in human-animal relationships: the development of human hunting and fishing, animal domestication, early pastoralism, and the emergence of market economies in animal products. Class presentations will include lectures and discussion concerning research design and archaeological case material, with additional videos, slidework with field and laboratory equipment, and supervised work identifying and describing archaeological materials from the University Museum's collections.